Chapter 7 : Guilin and Yangshuo, getaway in nature... or not
Airport, the shuttle (20THERE) drops you off somewhere in Shanghai Dajie.
Hotel : WADA Youth Hostel (Affiliate HI), 25There in the room 4 beds. In some rooms, the beds have individual curtains, for a good night's sleep without being disturbed by the comings and goings of your roommates ! Here too, Nice staff, free Internet and many animations.
Guilin is located in the region of karst peaks (the 'Sugar loaves.), and because of urban expansion, Some are found in the city ! You will need to pay an entry fee to climb these peaks.
I agree with other contributors on the hyperinflation of prices from tourist attractions ; If your guide dates from a few years, You may have a few unpleasant surprises. It is to Guilin I most felt this effect, examples : Hill which stops the waves and the solitary beauty peak, 60Y instead of 15Y in the LP, The seven star Park, 60Y instead of 30Y in the LP, etc...
The Park of The solitary beauty peak and one of Seven stars still worth, get ready to sweat if it is a little hot !
It will not fail to offer a cruise on the Li. This River has become a real tourist Highway, the bamboo rafts are actually made of plastic and powered by engines of lawn mower... The landscapes are all pleasant to see. For something more "authentic"., go for a walk on the Yulong around Yangshuo, the rafts are really bamboo !
At Yangshuo, most of the animation is located in Xi Jie, with an abundance of hotels for tourists, bars for tourists, stores for tourists...
Hotel : Yangshuo 11 Youth Hostel, to p.d. 25THERE. The staff is nice, but the rooms are cramped and very hard mattresses !
Youth hostels and hotels can you rent a bike (10 or 20Y according to the gear), There are beautiful walks to do along the Yulong ; dare the small paths !
The LP speaks of around Yangshuo balloon tours, be aware that this activity has been suspended following an accident about two years ago.
A restaurant : the Kelly's Place, in Guihua Lu, offers good Chinese and western dishes at reasonable rates.
Chapter 8 : Hong Kong, the “China English”
Last step of this Asian journey, Hong Kong is still very different from mainland China : different currency, left-hand traffic, signs in English and traditional Chinese...
From the railway station of Shenzhen, the direction of Hong Kong is clearly indicated, and a short walk through a gallery leads to the Lo Wu border crossing. Your Passport will be stamped once for output of China and a second time for entry to Hong Kong ! Once the border past, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) allows to go just about anywhere.
Hotel : Hong Kong Hostel, Paterson Street, MTR Causeway Bay. 180$HK night (1€= HK $10), the "dorms" are actually apartments in nearby buildings.
On Hong Kong Island, the old trams wooden and two floors offer a bucolic walk along the coast. It is significantly slower than the MTR but you can enjoy the atmosphere of the neighborhoods, and it cost only HK $ 2.3 (to pay down !). Attention, some trams bifurcate to secondary branches and do all the routes beachfront.
Since Sutherland Street tram stop (or of the Sheung Wan MTR), a small walk allows you to discover the stalls of fish dried in Ko Shing St and antique shops in Upper Lascar Row, among others.
Near the start of the Peak Tram (that I gave up : too many people the first time, and too much fog the next day !) the Edward Youde Aviary (free entry) allows to approach many species of birds in a tropical setting. Next, the the Flagstaff House Museum (free entry) is informative and fun ; the exhibition of the best parts of the pots to the carving contest worth !
Another unmissable attraction is the crossing of the port by the Star Ferry (unbeatable quality-price ratio : between 2 and 3$ Depending on whether we choose the upper or lower deck).
At Kowloon, the Museum of the history of Hong Kong (10$HK) presents the history of the colony, from prehistory to surrender. In particular, the room of costumes and traditional habitats is worth.
From/to airport, In addition to the MTR (fast but expensive : full price HK $ 100), There are several bus, as the A21/E21 for Hong Kong Island (21$HK). Still count a good hour from Causeway Bay.
